Robbie Williams loves his life at Mt Duneed Estate

WHEN one of your first big solo singles is called “Let Me Entertain You”, audiences should expect nothing less than top-tier live entertainment from Robbie Williams, and the British singer/songwriter delivered in spades at Mt Duneed Estate.

Williams’ rollicking performance for A Day on the Green at the Waurn Ponds winery had the crowd alternating between singing along and laughing out loud.

Opening with “Hey Wow Yeah Yeah”, Williams was at his cheeky best and at top speed from the start, with a full band, dancers and three backing behind him throughout the night.

Between songs, Williams was chatty, dropping jokes, altering lyrics, making friends in the front row and occasionally checking back in with them to hilarious effect – the full list of quotable quotes is too long and occasionally too naughty to reprint here.

“We are going on a journey together tonight – are you coming with me?” he asked three songs in.

“A 33-year musicial odyssey featuring the highest highs, the lowest lows, the sex, the drugs, the scandal, and the f***ing paparazzi!”

The XXV tour is celebrating Williams’ 25th year as a solo artist, and much like fellow ADTOG performer Sting (who played the same venue in February), the setlist traversed the the depth and breadth of his back catalogue but you could easily substitute half-a-dozen songs for no drop in quality.

He now seems entirely comfortable with his history with Take That, performing “Back for Good” in its entirety along with snippets (and embarassing video) of other Take That tracks.

The rain that came and went all day returned in force for the encore but Williams stepped out into it, closing with a well-received cover of John Farnham’s “You’re the Voice” as well as his own hits “She’s the One” and “Angels”.

Williams was supported by a DJ set from his associated electronica act Lufthaus – delayed slightly because of a passing thunderstorm – and alt-rock tunes from Supergrass frontman Gaz Coombes.